The Tamil Nadu government on Friday presented the state budget for fiscal year 2019-20 with revenue deficit expected to come down to Rs 14,315 crore as against the projected figure of Rs 19,319 crore.
The budget, presented by Deputy Chief Minister O Panneer Selvam who holds the finance portfolio, announced an allocation of Rs 28,757 crore for school and education department. A new arts and science college will be established at Rameswaram named after former President A P J Abdul Kalam.
To strengthen state infrastructure, a sum of Rs 13,606 crore has been allocated for the development of highways and ports. At the same time, Rs 6,256 crore has been earmarked for housing and urban development.
A project for sustainable housing for the urban poor has been proposed to the Asian Development Bank at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore.
Along with the World Bank, the state government will launch a new initiative to provide accommodation for 38,000 poor people living in Chennai along river banks at a cost of Rs 4,647 crore.
A comprehensive integrated parking management project will be implemented in Chennai at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore to accommodate two lakh four-wheelers and two lakh two-wheelers. Besides, Rs 25 crore has been allocated for concrete fencing to protect forest reserves around Chennai.
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For the fisheries sector, a sum of Rs 928 crore has been provided in the budget estimates. The government also proposes to distribute 240 units of Navic and 160 units of Navtex instruments to 80 clusters of deep sea fishing boats.
A new frozen semen station with the pedigree country and crossbreed bulls will be established at a cost of Rs 100 crore.
In addition, an amount of Rs 1,252 crore has been allocated for animal husbandry and Rs 258 crore for the dairy sector.